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I am looking for recommendationn. I want to take a one week trip in January along the Amazon icluding rain forrest and wildlife experiences. Trying to decide whether to take a trip in either the Peruvian or the Brazilian portions of Amazon. Recommendations? suggestions? Thanks

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I am looking for recommendationn. I want to take a one week trip in January along the Amazon icluding rain forrest and wildlife experiences. Trying to decide whether to take a trip in either the Peruvian or the Brazilian portions of Amazon. Recommendations? suggestions? Thanks

J get travel info emails from the Smithsonian occasionally. About a month ago one opf their features was Amazon River cruisrs they sponser. It looked interesting, nice boat,cabins,food, all with travel guides. Try looking them up, one comment is fairly p[ricey.

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Departing from Manaus, your expedition vessel stops at several points along the amazing Amazon jungle, and offers excursions on small boats or zodiacs to explore the dense, virgin vegetation. You and other adventure seekers will come into contact with the most exhuberant species of trees, plants, exotic animals and the local river communities, friendly and hospitable people. A paradise for those who like adventure with all the comfort of an all inclusive cruise.

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WOW!! And, crap! Another trip I seriously need to save for! We are in the plans of booking Galapagos with Machu Picchu, and that is quite the cost. Thanks for the info. This will be on our radar in the near future.

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I just did the Amazon on International Expeditions. Lousy lousy lousy boat!! No indoor area except the dining room so we got eaten alive by the mosquitos. No screens on doors or windows and even the cabins were full of bugs, ants, roaches, mosquitoes. If i could redo the trip I'd look at Lindblad whose boat the delfin 2 looks wonderful. We saw the Aqua and she looked grand, I wouldn't hesitate to book on that either.

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I did one through Earthwatch years ago, and you get a much deeper understanding of the Amazon than on a luxury cruise. And if you are from the US, you can deduct it on your taxes as a tax exempt organization. EM

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what were the food and accomodations like? Worth the extra money? Thinking about Galapagos and ending trip on the Amazon 4 to 5 nights. Just wanted to hear from someone that's been o this ship. When did you go? What month? jo ann

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We went in September 2011 and booked the least expensive cabin on the lowest deck. I believe that the cabins are identical except for deck. It was fine with a tiny balcony, big wall closet, big bed, big bathroom. We're not too picky except for cleanliness and it was. Food was just OK. It was buffet but at dinner you could also order ala carte. The menu was in Portuguese and the head waiter would come to our table talk to me for 5 minutes in Portuguese and then I would nod and say "fish". I don't speak anything but English. We always got good fish. The ship was empty so I don't know how service would be if it were full. We really enjoyed the trip but I don't believe that the ship comes anywhere close to a Silverseas ship.

We took Celebrity Expedition to the Galapagos the previous year. It was wonderful.

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I'm heading out next month on International Expeditions' new Amazon boat and am happy to report back. Would love to hear any advice about expedition cruising on the Amazon. I have twice cruised the big ship route between Manaus and Rio but this will be very different!

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

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I really want to go to the Amazon, it's my next destination..and i've been thinking for a while whether it might be easier to fly there rather than taking a cruise. Not sure which one works out cheaper in the end..could anyone shed some light? :)

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I believe that International Expeditions is the line that the Smithsonian uses...check out our blog for reports on IE's new ships, and the trip. Awesome :)

Link: cruisecritic.com/blog.

Carolyn

J get travel info emails from the Smithsonian occasionally. About a month ago one opf their features was Amazon River cruisrs they sponser. It looked interesting, nice boat,cabins,food, all with travel guides. Try looking them up, one comment is fairly p[ricey.

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Eli90, it's hard to get there, no matter whether you take a cruise or stay at a lodge. The real question is: What do you want to see? On a cruise, you'll travel farther, have a broader experience. At a lodge, you'll live in the jungle, in one place, and day-trips will be a shorter distance.

What I liked about the cruise -- and it must be said this is a cruise website though I am at heart at independent traveler -- is that my "hotel" stayed the same but the ship moved around, and with the even smaller and more nimble skiffs, felt that we got to see more than we would've at at a resort. IMHO.

Anybody else?

Carolyn

I really want to go to the Amazon, it's my next destination..and i've been thinking for a while whether it might be easier to fly there rather than taking a cruise. Not sure which one works out cheaper in the end..could anyone shed some light? :)

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I am looking for recommendationn. I want to take a one week trip in January along the Amazon icluding rain forrest and wildlife experiences. Trying to decide whether to take a trip in either the Peruvian or the Brazilian portions of Amazon. Recommendations? suggestions? Thanks

I see that this question was posted long ago but wanted to respond, since things have changed. We just returned from a river cruise on the NEW International Expeditions river boat, La Estrella. While their old boat may have been lacking, this new one provided a wonderful way to see the Peruvian Amazon in comfort. Cabins, the dining room, and the lecture room are air-conditioned, and since the boat was generally under way in the evenings, the open-air bar/lounge/observation area on the third deck was a wonderful gathering place. The naturalist guides were fantastic, and all was organized perfectly, from our arrival in Lima through our flight to Iquitos to the week aboard La Estrella.

Please don't assume that International Expeditions is still using an out-dated, uncomfortable river boat. Our experience on La Estrella was fabulous.

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I see that this question was posted long ago but wanted to respond, since things have changed. We just returned from a river cruise on the NEW International Expeditions river boat, La Estrella. While their old boat may have been lacking, this new one provided a wonderful way to see the Peruvian Amazon in comfort. Cabins, the dining room, and the lecture room are air-conditioned, and since the boat was generally under way in the evenings, the open-air bar/lounge/observation area on the third deck was a wonderful gathering place. The naturalist guides were fantastic, and all was organized perfectly, from our arrival in Lima through our flight to Iquitos to the week aboard La Estrella.

Please don't assume that International Expeditions is still using an out-dated, uncomfortable river boat. Our experience on La Estrella was fabulous.

I was happy to read your good review on La Estrella as we just booked a cruise with them for February next year. I hope this is a good month to travel the Amazon and not too wet as I understand it will be rainy season.

I was happy to read your good review on La Estrella as we just booked a cruise with them for February next year. I hope this is a good month to travel the Amazon and not too wet as I understand it will be rainy season.

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Hi, just a heads up that Sarah Schlichter, one of our staff editors, just got back from a Galapagos trip with IE and is working on her review, slide show, etc. She loved the experience...will keep you posted when we have a link.

Carolyn

Would love to hear more as I am planning Galapagos and wanted to put the Aria on as a pre trip.....anything you would change or did not like?

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Whatever shots like yellow fever an typhoid , from the CDC website those will carry us over for 10 years! Having been to Africa last year got us up on all of our shots! Including malaria pills as well! Don't think there is anything else we need to do! I do always sign up on step.state.gov for up to date info on whatever countries we are traveling to! So Ecuador was the only category I had to put down for this trip in May!

Edited September 6, 2014 by rosewood joMisspelled words

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Whatever shots like yellow fever an typhoid , from the CDC website those will carry us over for 10 years! Having been to Africa last year got us up on all of our shots! Including malaria pills as well! Don't think there is anything else we need to do! I do always sign up on step.state.gov for up to date info on whatever countries we are traveling to! So Ecuador was the only category I had to put down for this trip in May!

Thanks for info. I was thinking along the same line but wasn't sure.

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We have just come back from a Galapagos cruise and the Napo Wildlife Center Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle. On our way to the lodge, we saw two luxurious river boats for cruising: the M/V Anaconda and the M/V Manatee.

If you are in the Galapagos, it makes sense to add a river cruise in Ecuador instead of Brazil or Peru. You will probably fly back from the islands to Quito. The flight to Coca on the Napo river is only half an hour from Quito's new airport. You are still in the same country with the same currency - the USD.

A flight to Peru or Brazil is much longer with several connecting flights, for example Quito - Lima (immigration, new currency) - Maldonado via Cusco.

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I just did the Amazon on International Expeditions. Lousy lousy lousy boat!! No indoor area except the dining room so we got eaten alive by the mosquitos. No screens on doors or windows and even the cabins were full of bugs, ants, roaches, mosquitoes. If i could redo the trip I'd look at Lindblad whose boat the delfin 2 looks wonderful. We saw the Aqua and she looked grand, I wouldn't hesitate to book on that either.

It sounds like they have a new ship since this original post was made and that the new ship is much more comfortable? Their website makes the ship out to be very nice.